How do you pronounce Ra's al Ghul?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by RoJoHen, Oct 20, 2011.

  1. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    I only ask because the pronunciation in the new Arkham City game is really throwing me off.

    Batman Begins: "Rahz" (more or less)

    Arkham City: "Raish" :wtf:
     
  2. Davros

    Davros Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I had thought it was Raish.
     
  3. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    I admit I am not super familiar with the character. "Raish" just sounds odd to me.
     
  4. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    Throughout the Animated Series it was pronounced "raish al gool". After that it sounded stranger to me when it was pronounced "rahz" in Begins. Only the writer that created the character for the comics can be sure of the pronunciation.
     
  5. Skellington

    Skellington Part-time poltergeist Rear Admiral

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    The same way as in Batman Begins, surely - Rahz Al Ghoul. I suppose there's the question of what the pronunciation would have sounded like when he first adopted the name, of course.
     
  6. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    See, I loved the Animated Series, but I can't for the life of me even remember Ra's being in it! I need to watch that show again! I'm so behind on my Batman lore.
     
  7. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Raish I believe is the actual correct way...at least I believe that this is what Bruce Timm and Paul Dini have stated. Nolan and Goyer went the other way which is the only way that specific pronunciation has been shown. Paul Dini wrote the script for "Batman: Arkham City" so this is why it is this way in the video game. I much prefer this way myself.
     
  8. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I read once that the different pronunciations represent different regional dialects of Arabic. Strictly speaking, in standard Arabic pronunciation, it would be pretty much like "rahss," but with a slightly rolled R and a glottal stop after the vowel.

    I can't find the thread about the regional dialects, but here's an interesting one I did find:

    http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-322011.html
     
  9. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    Look for the eps, "Showdown", "Avatar", "The Demon's Quest" and "Off-Balance." (According to the IMDB entry of David Warner, who voiced him...)
     
  10. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    So, has anybody asked Denny O'Neill?
     
  11. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    But those are listed in reverse order, as IMDb tends to do. Ra's also appeared in the Superman: TAS episode "The Demon Reborn" and the Batman Beyond episode "Out of the Past."
     
  12. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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  13. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    The first thing that came to mind when I entered this thread was a scene from "Out of The Past."

    Talia starts to speak in her father's voice;

    MCGINNIS: "Geez, lady! You're creepin' me out!

    WAYNE: "You? She kissed me..."
     
  14. Small White Car

    Small White Car Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    My basic Batman rule: The Animated Series tumps all. They called him 'Raish' so that's what I go by.


    I hadn't seen Star Trek V for many, many years. I watched it again recently and when Warner started talking I was like, holy ****! :lol:
     
  15. Chris3123

    Chris3123 Vice Admiral Admiral

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  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I tracked down that thread I was trying to find -- or rather, I tracked down a reference I made on another BBS to the old TrekBBS thread which apparently no longer exists. According to what was claimed there, "Raysh" is how it's pronounced in Iraqi dialect while "Rahz" is Algerian dialect.
     
  17. Bob Karo

    Bob Karo Captain Captain

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    You too?
     
  18. Janus VI

    Janus VI Captain Captain

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    If anyone has the DC Comics Who's Who from the 80's they usually had a pronunciation guide in it. If I remember correctly Ra's was pronounced like "Raysh".

    I know that's how I always pronounced it even before BTAS and also found it odd when it was pronounced differently in Batman Begins.
     
  19. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    One of the mods in the Denny O'Neil message board clarifies the issue in the link that I posted in the previous page.
     
  20. Myasishchev

    Myasishchev Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'd assume it's pronounced the same as Ra's al-Khaimah, one of the E in the UAE. Which I gather is sort of like "rais" (close enough for an Anglophone).

    P.S.: if Arabic wants to be learned it could invest in a script that doesn't appear as the equivalent of a 5 point cursive font on computer screens. Hebrew and Phoenician manage to be legible. <_<